Illusion of Time
by Jquato
Summary: The story that takes place between Sands of Time and Warrior Within. Learn how the Prince strived to get back Farrah and how he faces adversity from warriors of a foreign land. But the sands are not far behind as the slowly seak up to reclaim the Prince.
1. Prologue

This is my first fanfic and i hope you enjoy it.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Prince of Persia

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Prince of Persia:  
The Illusion of Time

**Prologue **

_Most people think time is like a river that flows swift and sure in one direction.  
__But I have seen the face of time and I can tell you that they are wrong.  
__Time is like an ocean in a storm.  
__You may wonder who I am or why I say this…_

These were the first words I spoke to her as I returned from the quest I had never begun. Yet after I had told her my story she did not believe me. She simply thought that my story was a rouse to warn her of the treacherous Vizier. Although this was true in ways I really just wanted her to remember me. Yet after I left her palace all I could think of was how to get her back.

My father, King Sharaman, had retreated his army, as I was forced to tell him an absurd story of the Vizier's trickery to claim the sultan's throne and that of Persia, even though the truth was none more believable. But I did not return with my father instead I attempted to find away to reclaim the only thing I had lost to the sands, Farah's love.

I knew that the desert sands held more secrets than that of time, and I had hoped to search through them all to get back Farah. But what I found led me to the knowledge that I may never regain what I had lost. My tale begins as I made my way to Azad in hopes of gaining knowledge from the sultan's library.


	2. Ambush

**Ambush!**

_As the illusion of heat falls upon me so does stupidity.  
__Shadows swept in the sand blind me from the truth.  
__Only confusion controls my mind.  
__I hate those who stated ignorance is bliss, only because they were right…_

As I made my way to Azad I could only think of how I had once destroyed it by unleashing the sands upon the kingdom. But knowing that Farah had sealed the dagger away eased my heart greatly. Yet something still kept bothering me about the dagger. I thought to myself about how I could have the dagger of time and still be destined to obtain one that was locked away in the Maharajah palace. These questions rammed through my mind as the sun's heat began to pour down from the barren sky.

The intense heat was beginning to drive me insane as I began to see mirages. At one point I began to see Farah waving gourds of water around while a nice oasis lay slightly behind her. At another point I saw my father and his sand creature counter-part taunting me with water. This site really disturbed me and I was drawn to grab my canteen, which was strapped to my waist next to two empty canteens. I had began to regret not taking the caravan my father tried to push off on me. But I didn't want anyone to interfere with my quest. He even tried to get one of his personal doctors to keep tabs on my health. I believed he was worried about me because of my farfetched story, even though my trickery couldn't be helped.

When I finally had Azad's city in my sight I dropped the now empty canteen to my side. The city sat in the background of the blaring sun and as happiness grew to my dry throat so did the sands which twirled around picking up from the desert floor. The sand started to grow in rage as my sight became disoriented. When I pulled down my visor and wrapped a scarf around my face I noticed figures roaming in the sands. Though I hesitated before stopping I drew my sword and got off of my horse. I figured that it was either weak bandits or my eyes playing tricks on me again. Then again it could have been wondering nomads searching for Azad but being thrown off by the sudden storm. I decided not to take any chances and readied my weapon. The figures seemed to flow in and out of the sand as they twirled around in a weird but precise fashion. I looked blindly in the sands as their movements quickly annoyed me. The thought of Azad being so close made me grow more irritated and impatient. I grew tired of waiting and decided to make the first move, nomad or illusion I would stop this deception. I rushed towards my left and brought down my sword in a large slashing motion to where a shadow lay hidden in the sand. When my sword sat still in the ground I realized I had made a grave mistake. Suddenly a huge weight came down on my lower back then another struck my legs, which tossed me to my knees. A last strike came upon my neck and the harsh jolt of it tossed me into the ground, where I blacked out.

"Pick him up and toss him on the horse."

"Funny, I was expecting more of a challenge from what Viron said."

"This is a nice sword. Persian I think. Marion will like this one."

"Lets head back! Viron is waiting for us."

I awoke in a dark decrypted cell that seemed like one of Azad's design. It reminded me of Azad's prison, minus the torture devices. Yet this area seemed to be isolated from the rest of the construction. I assumed it was used rarely used, which made me somewhat honored. But all jokes aside I was truly terrified. As I wondered about where I was and who had brought me here someone suddenly barged in.

"So you're finally awoke, good. Now we can finally get down to business." And there he stood, a man who would prove to be a great adversity on my quest. He was a strongly built man, with a muscular body. He had a dark tan to him but he didn't seem Indian in the least. His dark brown hair was set in a ponytail behind his back, except the lock of hair pulled out in front across his left eye. One of the strangest things about him was his outfit. Though his pants were more loosened they were much similar to my own, but the leather vest he wore was a dirty orange as if someone had beat it in the desert sands. What struck me as odd was the giant white cloth that was wrapped around his neck like a scarf, it was slung over the entire left side of his body. I believe it was to hide the sword hidden in his sheave even though he had an unusual scimitar on his back. I got the feeling he was a strong warrior as he stared at me with his slackened brown eyes. As he came closer to unlock me from my prison I noticed that he had a small gash across the right edge of his lip. I had wondered how someone like him could even be touched by a blade, but it didn't matter now since I had to face him without one.


	3. Escape! Who is She?

**Escape/Who Is She?**

_The dagger of time is very dangerous if used.  
__Those who use it will reap what that sue.  
__The flow of time can never be restored.  
__Who am I kidding I'm still alive aren't I…_

"Here, eat this." He said in a deep and scratchy voice, as he tossed me a beaten up loaf of bread and a halve filled canteen of water. At this point though I didn't care for what I was eating as long as I was eating. His generosity surprised me, yet the fact that he left my cell open and the door accessible made me feel inferior.

"Who are you?" I asked, as I tried to tear through the bread with my teeth.

"Aren't we pushy," he said as he grabbed a chair to sit down in, "My name's Viron." After a brief silence he continued. "I'd ask you yours but I doubt you'd tell me, at least not the truth anyways. Am I right."

"Humph," I grunted as I finished the last of the bread and hurriedly drank the water, "What do you want with me for?"

"And why do you assume that I want you?" He replied.

"Well I doubt that I'm alive for my good looks." I said, trying to keep him talking.

"Hmmm," he said smiling, "You're smarter than you look. I do want you for something. You see, I was there when you snuck into the Maharajah palace."

"Wha-what do you mean?" I said with a slight scared shriek in my voice. I feared that he truly did speak the truth and what else he knew.

"Please don't play coy, it doesn't suit you. You see, I saw you that evening as you entered the princess' balcony window. At first I thought you were trying some love-bit-act and I was going to allow your fun and go on with my plans. Then I noticed that you were a Persian and one of high order, this caught my attention. I mean it's no secret of the hate shared between the Maharajah and king Sharaman."

"You're right the hate between Persia and India grows very deep," Which was true, Persia's hate for India ran very deep even before my father came to throne. My father's plan original plan was to conquer India's capitol city, a feat that no Persian king succeeded at. With the Vizier's help my father would have succeeded as I'm assured of the fact. But that was another time and who knows how that works. "But don't tell me you're a sob for love stories or you might lower my opinion of you." I said, but only to give him a reason to continue. The truth was I was intrigued about how much he knew and even more intrigued to find out what he was doing at the palace in the first place.

"Humph, maybe I am." He said with a sly grin. "But if you don't mind I would like to continue. As I saying you shocked me. So I followed you in search of answers. I had heard most of your story, all the way to when Farah had died. Then the Vizier appeared and I fled. Yet I didn't go far. You see I now possess the dagger that you gave up." He then pulled out what I couldn't believe was the dagger of time.

I sat up from the cell floor in great shock and said with great error in my voice, "B-but h-how," but before he could answer someone busted through the doorway in a hurry.

"Viron," the man said out of breath, "we have a visitor and she wants that dagger."

"Marion is it really her?" Viron replied, as he returned the dagger to his side.

"Yes, but it's no greeting call. She has already taken out most of my men."

"Lets go!" Viron returned, as he and Marion rushed outside the door.

At this point I felt pulled any many directions as confusion and chaos ruled my mind. First there was the need to get the dagger from Viron, who I felt has a story of his own to tell. Then there was my inquisitive side, that drew me to find out how so many people had grew to know of the dagger and who was this women that attacked. Did I release the information through my story or was there another force at work that I knew nothing of? The most worrying thing that crossed my mind was what had happened to Farah and if Viron had hurt her to get the dagger. If he had I would have stopped at nothing to get revenge. With all the choices I had to make only one stood above the rest and that was to escape.

As I searched for a way out all I saw where empty corridors, baths, kitchens, and training areas. I began to realize that this was a base area of some sort and not just a prison. I continued to run when I came upon a room full of weapons. I saw many strange swords, bows and arrows, daggers and other weapons I didn't even recognized. Most of the weapons looked like they were being collected, as they hung on the wall in glass cases. But the ones that showed the greatest care in craftsmanship appeared to still be in use. I had wished to experiment with each sword, but time was running out. I grabbed one lying next to the door and continued to run. As I made my way through the base I came to the assumption that I was almost out. This assumption came only to the numbers of dead bodies scattered on the floor and pinned to the wall. Each body was filled with multiple star shaped blades. This drew me to the attention that the women who attacked was not from this or any other land I had ever heard of. The carnage that had been done made me quite ill, I say this only cause my most recent sights of death were creatures made of sand. I appeared to what had seem to be the entrance which was now the exit, at least for me anyways.

Then I saw her, fighting Viron with a strange foreign blade. She was the most beautiful warrior I had ever seen. She wore a black silk gown that had no restrictions preventing her to fight. She handled her sword like a master of art, even though her long red-brown hair sat across her face. After she had jumped back from Viron's attack I caught a glimpse of her eyes as they met mine. The beauty of her dark green eyes shimmered as a jade jewel would in the desert sands while the sun was at its peak. She was then confronted by Marion who struck from behind however she dodged his attack with ease and side scrolled him with a kick, still while floating amongst the ground. The way she perfected her attacks were amazing, but I could not stay and watch. I grabbed a black horse which was tied to a column and rode off west to the dieing sun. All I could do was wonder who was she?


	4. Someone I Once Loved

This story is toldat Viron's point of veiw. But the italic is expressedin both Viron's and the Prince's thoughts.

The "XXX" represents that someone is about to go into a little memory state or is coming out of one.

By the way the story picks up right before Viron left the Prince.

I hope you have enjoyed my story so far.

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**Someone I Once Loved**

_Fire and Brimstone fall from the sky.  
__Hell will sweep the earth with an untamed flame.  
__Is despair worth this price taken.  
__Is it worth calling love when she doesn't feel the same way.  
__We both follow the road to regain are lost love.  
__Farrah, Myami…_

"B-but h-how?" the prince said in a broken voice. But before I could respond Marion rushed in the room and begun to speak.

"Viron," he called stopping to take a breath, "we have a visitor and she wants that dagger." I was in such shock that my concentration broke away from the prince.

"Marion is it really her?"

"Yes, but it's no greeting call. She has already taken out most of my men."

"Lets go!" I exclaimed and ran out of the room. Marion and I ran towards the entrance first stopping by his room. He rarely had a weapon on him even though he was fierce warrior. I knew him ever since I was a child and he was one of two people to ever give me a challenge in a fight. But he never really liked sparring or even defending himself with weapons. Instead he enjoys collecting weapons and mastering how to use them, rather than actually use them. His ways has always confused me but I never once questioned them for the simple fact that he was my friend. Reminiscing about the past brought me to the attention that I left the prince in a open cell. Then I figured I wouldn't have to chase him cause he would seek me, now that he knew that I had the dagger of time.

As we reached the exit needing only to make a left we were cut off by 'her' riding on her black stallion. She turned and glanced at us laughing a disturbingly horrible laugh. We steadied our rush and ran to the exit while un-sheaving our swords. She turned and looked at me smiling slyly as she tied her horse to a broken column. When she was through she drew her katana and pointed it between us.

_"I have come to retrieve the dagger and relieve you of your lives."_ She said without any emotion.

"Tell me, why have you come here?" Marion demanded surprising me, as if he had forgot what we did to her.

_"Why I do is no longer your concern."_ She replied hastily and leapt in the air holding her sword at an angle. Marionreplied and leapt into the air to meet 'her' sword. But he was to easily pushed back towards the ground.

"Marion," I began, "don't hurt her, just try to get her sword away from her." At the time I didn't realize that he wasn't holding back, forall I could think about was her well being.

"Hurt her! I'm trying not to be hurt." Marion shouted as he stumbled back to the ground. "Viron don't let your emotions interfere with your perception of her skill." Marion said this with an astonishing fear in his eyes. At first I thought he had allowed her to push him back. But with those words I realized that I had blinded myself from her true power. I then recalled the scene of my men bleeding to death as palm sized shuriken lay embedded in their skulls and laced around their necks. I couldn't help but think about how her skills could improve in just five years, from where I first met her in Japan.

X X X

I remember when I first met her, she was being tossed out of a local training facility for being a female. 

_"You stupid, no good, bull-hearted bastards!"_ she yelled wiping her kimono as she rose from the ground. Yet this was a mistake cause women were supposed to mind their tongue towards a men.

"You stupid bitch, how dare you speak to me like that." The man who tossed her out said preparing to slap her. Then I intervened and grabbed his hand. "W-what? O-oh Viron, um this matter doesn't concern you please leave this to me." But I could never stand my people's laws and seeing a man hit a women or any other person weaker than them disgusted me.

"Sorry, to disappoint you but this is my women you're about to lay hands on." I said looking down at 'her' as a crowd grew around the scene. He quickly apologized to me and retreated into the building. When I turned around to look at her she had already disappeared into the crowd.

"Don't get involved with her." Marion said coming from behind me.

"Why not?" I said grinning still searching the crowd for her beautiful face.

"Because that's the Arch Imperialist's daughter." My face then drew blank because I had intended to kill this very imperialist in the upcoming months.

X X X

I then snapped back to reality and charged in on her as she pushed back Marion. I made contact with her blade but she threw me off balance and recoiled into the air. She flew back into the rays of the setting sun and suddenly I felt blinded. The blinding force threw me back into the ground as it did Marion. I had felt this type of power before but I never knew it could me used by mere mortals. I feared the worst for 'her' as I rose back to my feet. 

When I returned to my feet I rushed her hoping to catch her before she landed back to the ground. Nevertheless she evaded my attack by floating backwards as if she had jumped on air. Just before Marion attacked her, she glanced at the prince as he ran mesmerized out of the building. After Marion slid across the ground I saw the prince still her horse and ride off towards Azad, which was west towards the sunset. I then sheaved my sword and walked over to help Marion off of the ground.

"What are you doing?" he said as I lifted him from the ground, "Why have you stop attacking?"

"Her horse." I explained believing that was enough, "She's going to go get her horse."

"What are you talking about?" he said in disbelief. Then out of no where she came out of, to no surprise to me, she rode a horse from my stable grounds towards the descending sun. I remember how she first came upon the black stallion a few years after we met. Ever sense she tamed it, it had become like a family member to her. She would stop everything to get the stallion if it was in danger. Though I doubt that the prince would harm the horse he would now have to face 'her', and with this new personality I doubt it would be pretty.

Although she was gone now I knew she would return, however this little intermission would give me time to grasp the situation. I came to a quick understanding at why she wanted to kill me but why she wanted the dagger, and for that matter how she knew of it, confused me.

"Are you seriously going to let her leave?" Marion asked as I stood there in a daze.

"Yes." I replied simply and turned to reenter the building.

"Why?" he asked in a rage, "And why didn't you go all out? If you didn't notice she's after your life!" But I didn't respond, I just whispered quietly to myself.

"Myami…"

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I'm sorry ifViron's past was cut short but more will be explained about him and the other characters (Myami, Marion, and the black stallion) later. 


End file.
